Soon, a tablet PC for JUST Rs 10,000!

New Delhi-based Lava Mobiles is looking to launch a seven-inch tablet for Rs 17,000-18,000. It has set up a team to develop India-specific applications.

"We are planning to launch by September. Our USP is that it will work on the Android platform. It will be localised for India. So, we are developing applications on infotainment and online news," says S N Rai, co-founder and director of Lava Mobiles.

Karbonn Mobiles is preparing to launch an Internet media tablet with features such as ambient lighting and proximity sensors.

"We will sell through disruptive marketing in terms of product offerings at various price points that will be backed by localised application content," says Shashin Desare, executive director, Karbonn Mobiles.

Soon, a tablet PC for JUST Rs 10,000!

Lending a helping hand is US technology provider Qualcomm, which is offering cheaper chipsets and software application support. It is even co-launching products.

Says Qualcomm CEO Kanwalinder Singh: "We are working with vendors for tablets whose prices will range from Rs 10,000 to Rs 20,000. There is a lot of demand for our lower-end chipsets. We are also co-launching some products with Indian manufacturers to give them a push."

For instance, Qualcomm Ventures has invested in mapsofindia.com, a navigation software, and in Apalya, a TV application company. These applications are being offered to Indian manufacturers.

Soon, a tablet PC for JUST Rs 10,000!

The new entrant in the mobile space, Bharti company Bharti Teletech (Beetel brand), also plans to join the race.

CEO Vinod Sawhney says they will target smaller cities which are not the focus of companies such as Apple.

"Our main strategy is to come out with products with Indian features at affordable prices," he says. The company is planning to sell in over 125 towns.

One reason for this rush is the growth potential -- 0.7-1 million tablets are expected to be sold in India this year. With increasing affordability and growth of 3G services, iPads could replace net PCs.